Many tablets, capsules and pills (hereinafter "tablets") are packaged on cards in individual or multiple tablet blister packages, typically consisting of a card backing and a bubble like plastic covering. The tablets are removed by, again typically, pushing on the plastic blister to collapse the blister and, simultaneously, push the tablet through the card backing. The area of the card backing supporting the tablet may be thinner or otherwise weaker than the surrounding area to facilitate rupture. Unfortunately for many individuals, particularly the elderly and infirm, the process of dislodging a tablet from its blister pack by hand is difficult, if not impossible.
There are a number of prior patents which disclose devices for dispensing tablets from blister type packages including: U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,797 to Haber; U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,968 to Albetski; U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,414 to Heath; U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,709 to Peters; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,561 to Lombardino, et al. Haber discloses what is described as a dosage sealing, monitoring and dispensing assembly for dispensing tablets from an elongated flexible strip. The dispersing is accomplished by a reciprocating plunger 30 which is actuated by, inter alia, lever arm 32. Albetski discloses a card support tray which is used in conjunction with a roller member for crushing the individual blister packs. The device disclosed by Heath is much more complicated, including the motor driven roller 30 which drives the blister pack into cutting blade 40. Likewise, the device of Peters is complicated, including a positioning die, a perforating die and a movable punch, all of which move together. Finally, Lombardino et al. discloses a dispenser for dispensing tablets into a small reaction chamber without contamination.
With the exception of Haber, none are designed for home use, and Haber's device is limited to tablets which are dispensed from a long flexible strip. The devise is not suitable for use with the flat rectangular multiple tablet blister packages currently in use, such as illustrated in Albetski, which come in a variety of sizes with a variety of different tablet sizes. Accordingly, the objects of the present invention are to provide a device which is: of simple construction; cheap to manufacture; hand held; has only two relatively moving parts; is easy to handle; provides the elderly and infirm with a mechanical advantage for crushing the blister portion of the package and pushing the tablet(s) through the base or card backing; and adaptable with a number of different blister/tablet sizes.